Rhode Island House speaker's office raided

Law enforcement officials raided the office of Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox and his Providence home Friday, removing evidence but refusing to reveal the nature of their investigation.

Federal and state investigators armed with warrants sealed off Fox's State House office Friday morning, then entered his home early Friday afternoon. They spent at least 90 minutes inside, and left with bags and boxes marked "evidence."

Larry Berman, a spokesman for Fox, said he had no idea why Fox's office and home have been raided.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island confirmed an investigation, but refused to divulge the nature of the investigation, or whether it was into Fox himself.

"I'm not going to offer any comment at all, but to confirm the obvious, that there is a federal and state law enforcement presence at the State House in an ongoing law enforcement matter," said office spokesman Jim Martin.

Martin said the FBI, Rhode Island State Police and the IRS were involved in the investigation, in which two federal search warrants were executed.

[GoLocal Providence] [Providence Journal]